I’m 56 and cut my hair short one year after getting out of high school – you can do the math – and never regretted it for one moment. I agree Americans are so fixated with long hair (my hairdresser calls it the cheerleader syndrome). It’s expensive to maintain the color and cut, but worth every penny I’ve spent. I love a bare neck and as my ears are one of my better features, can show them off.

I’m not a fan of short hair cuts for women past 30 or so (some exceptions, namely, Halle Berry, come to mind)…women need the fullness of long hair next to their faces to make up for the loss of collagen as they move along in life. Besides, guys like long hair. It’s way hot!

Honestly, I find the idea that we somehow have to “make up for” ourselves as we change over time troubling… as is the idea that our primary concern when we self-create via style should be whether guys (or other people in general) like it. (Not going to touch the generalizations about men or who women wish to appeal to…)

Well said, my dear!
Men are more than entitled to their preferences, but their love of long haired women should not be so that they may delude themselves into thinking that they are with a little girl. In case they’ve forgotten, they age too!

Some guys like short hair, some guys like long hair, some girls like short hair, some girls like long hair.

You should wear your hair for yourself, not for others. And not every female is trying to attract men. Women are each beautiful in their own way at every age. It is in no way necessary for women over 30 to have long hair.

This is exactly the sort of misogynistic statement that makes today’s women less likely to love themselves. Frankly, I don’t really care what ‘guys like’, and sincerely doubt I’ll need to make up for anything when I’m past my middle age.

I have just turned thirty and after having short hair on and off for years (and every other length in between) I always seem to return to it having done so around six months ago. So women lose collagen; men lose a lot more than that and yet we do not hold it against them. I like the way short hair emphasizes certain features that would otherwise be drowned by long hair. It’s ok to have an opinion on the short/long hair debate but please don’t hide your comments behind age or ‘collagen’, we don’t have anything to ‘make up for’. We should be championing our differences.

And we’re all walking around trying to make sure guys think we’re hot, right? Unless you’re walking around looking like a Greek god, I’d leave the whole “objective beauty standards” thing at the door because a lot of women like a lot of things that you’re probably not. And anyway, you might like long hair, but you’re not all guys. I don’t seem to have any trouble finding men who like my short hair. And I’m over 30.

Only women who have very small, feminine, beautiful faces to begin with would be able to pull this off. They would honestly look good with any haircut. If they were bald people would still comment on how beautiful they are.

Sorry, but I couldn’t disagree more – I’ve seen lots of women without “very small, feminine faces” with short hair, who totally rocked it. You can have big nose or thick brows to look cool in the pixie cut, you just won’t look like Mia Farrow. You should examine the charming top right lady better, by the way.
I think it’s like Andy said – and you also meet lot of women, whose faces seems average, only because they’re drowned in an average cut, which is just long…

I never understand this comment. Do people talk about women being able to “pull off” a ponytail, another hairstyle that highlights the face?

Invariably, when a picture on a blog is posted of a woman with short hair we get the dictates from some commenters about only certain women being able to wear short hair. I’ve *never* seen this, though: “Wow, she looks great with a ponytail. I could never pull that off. Only beautiful women/women with delicate features/etc. can look good in a ponytail.” See how odd that is?

I suspect it’s really not about how one looks in a particular hairstyle but about a ponytail still being considered feminine in North American cultures whereas a short haircut is not. Perhaps short hair just makes some onlookers uncomfortable because on some level they don’t like the blurring of those gender lines.

That’s it, well put, your last line sums it up for me – and if people were honest them too ! I don’t believe a woman, or man, needs ‘a certain look’ to ‘pull somethng off’. An attitude, maybe.
Why do most people commenting here remark on the woman top right of the montage ? Is it because she is the only one smilling with a carefree attitude ? I think that is what’s more attractive and that’s what people are attracted to, the smile not the haircut.

Matilde

October 25, 2012 at 4:48 pm

I totally agree. I have worn a version of this haircut for years, and I always get comments on how great it looks. And I don’t resemble Mia Farrow one bit.

All that is necessary to know if your face is better suited to a short haircut is how well you look in a ponytail. Lots of women look better with their hair away from their face, and lots of hair isn’t well-suited to longer or mid-length cuts.

I have a pixie cut and I’m literally never going back to long hair. I just realized how unhappy and uncomfortable I feel with hair touching my neck and ears. To quote Russel Crowe,”it’s like walking around with a dead koala on your back!”

It is so wonderful to see this on your blog–shot hair IS feminine and beautiful!! I adore my boy cut and may never go back! I can’t tell you how many women stop to tell me they wish they had the courage–JUST DO IT! make the decision. It’s hair after all, it grows back!

Gorgeous! Especially the woman on the top right. Damn, so beautiful! I always think it takes such strength to do this, not just of bone structure but of character as well. Maybe one day I’ll have the balls to do this myself…

If you’re thinking about a boy cut….you better have a face, but more importantly the attitude, to carry it off. It is an unforgiving style. And let’s face it (no pun intended)….even the most beautiful short haired women, become invisible to men. Research has shown over and over, breasts and hair are the things that biology, drives men to look at. On the other hand? Fck it. I love a man that loves my pixie cut. My face is pleasant, my skin is fine and even, light. I cut my hair super short years ago, and bleached it white. Every week since, at least one, dark skinned (only one white guy so far) man stops, in his tracks, to tell me how much he loves my hair. One time, two guys stopped their car, in traffic, to tell me how “fine” I looked. The best part? I’m 60 years old.

I’m a seventeen year-old Italian girl with a boy hair cut, my father loves women with super short hair and my friends (boys and girls) seem to appreciate my hair, in my opinion there are women who are born to have a short hair cut, they just need to have courage, find the better hairstylist of the city, and tell him: “make me beautiful, cut my hair, short, super short”

You make a very good point ladyofletters. Lots of women also give me compliments on my hair all the time, younger women, and older women….I don’t know why I didn’t think to mention that. For too many years, yes, my sense of self worth was based almost completely on how men reacted to me. I was never much of a student. I was raised to believe that my looks were my ticket. Biology drives us, it’s that simple. It sounds like you are one of the lucky females that doesn’t care, and that is enviable. At this stage of my life, I’m happy to say that, finally, I don’t care what men think. Or other women. Still, I take great care of myself, I’m a vibrant, healthy, very young looking 60. And, it is soooooo nice when a younger man actually notices me, and has the presence to tell me I look great. That’s powerful, and I will never tire of that.

am really liking this conversation. our self-worth and confidence cannot help but be affected by the opinions of others. while most of the comments on the Sartorialist are positive, sometimes they are downright nasty. and I have noticed that tattoos, short hair, fur and smoking for some reason become ‘polarizing issues’ in a world that has much bigger problems to actually deal with. but then, you have the vanguard like ‘cece’ who has the courage to present a thoughtful opinion, written with style, candor and humility. bravo cece!

Great pictures and haircuts! I had a good laugh about long hair making up for “loss of collagen”. I guess after your 40th birthday you should look like Rapunzel?
I’m 63, and have very short, silver hair, and, like Cece, I get a lot of complements from guys of all ages.
The best part of being over 60? You don’t have to pay attention to the likes of Niklas.

Oh, great! I’ve had a pixie short hair cut for the past 4 years and I was just about to start growing it out but now… I’m having second thoughts! I love how easy to manage it is and that fact that it sets me apart from most other young women my age. But, on the other hand, it would be nice to have more to work with. Sheesh. Decisions.

How about a twin Sartorial List for older women? You sometimes feature older men. The young girls/boys are adorable but there are some pretty foxy and chic ladies out there, too – and we do follow your blog.

I love short hair on women. To me, personally, long hair is a deal breaker. But I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman with short hair who’s had it cut to attract men, it’s usually for all the other reasons.
I have to disagree with the contributor who says women need longer hair as they get older. Apart from the dodgy politics the opposite is true. That’s why older women tend to go for shorter cuts – it’s much more forgiving as their hair condition changes over the years.

I am sporting a boycut since almost 6 years (with a short in between when I thoght long hair would be better again) – and I love it! getting a lot of compliments & I finally feel like this is showing my personality the best – the intelligent still sporty style (and if I want, it’s easy to be elegant)

I absolutely love shot hair for women ! I wish we could see a few pictures of this hair style on “mature” women just to show how gorgeous and elegant it looks. For example : Tilda Swinton and Francoise Hardy.

Just say yes!!! I love a “boy” cut. I wear a “boy” cut and I really wish folks would stop saying “you can only wear this if you’re thin,” or “you can only wear this if you are young.” Ridiculous! If you own a look, you rock that look. Style is far more your attitude than what you slip on or how you cut your hair!

For a long long time I had this beautiful ”american” long hair and after long of thinking and consulting a thousand times your old posts and garance posts for short hair I finally did it,,,,boys cut like Anne Catherine Freiss, and God I was never more beautiful and feminin in my life….everything is question of timing……

Short or long or inbetween is begging the question. If the woman feels pretty in the style, she will be so. If the woman cares how she looks, her hair will show it. What is not attractive, short or long, is hair that says “I don’t like myself and I don’t care what I looks like.” So sad to see that.

I have had every length of hair imaginable. When I was younger and cut it short I always worried I didn’t look sufficiently feminine or attractive and would grow it out again. Shortly after 30 I stopped caring whether men were attracted to me and only thought about whether they’d hire me. Suddenly having long hair seemed like a pointless hassle, so I cut it off – and for the first time I loved how I looked with a boy cut. My face hadn’t changed, only my mind. I have never gone back. I love having very short hair. And there are few things more attractive than confidence.

Does anyone recall that article in Elle magazine titled Short Hairstyles:Do Haircuts Affect
Your Love Life: The painful truth about pixie cuts and short hairstyles? The woman who wrote the article downloaded a photo of the pretty pixie Swedish woman posted on TheSartorialist.com, emulated the hairstyle (she took about 10 inches off), and her boyfriend was no longer attracted to her anymore and broke up with her immediately.
I’m surprised no one has brought this article up before in any of the blogs. I think all the ladies above look gorgeous.

I love seeing a cute short cut. And my husband would love for me to have short hair. But I really love wearing hats and my long hair is the only thing that saves that look for me. For years I had short hair and looked terrible in any hat (not that I wear them every day but when I want to, they always work). Layers and changing it up are key to living with long hair. My mother (late 70′s) has a shoulder length layered cut (but long-looking compared to her friends who mostly have very short hair) and she looks the best to me. Very interesting discussion. All depends on one’s level of confidence, I think… One thing though, the women in these photos are very young. No wonder they look so cute.

Thank you! i have a boy cut for a while now, love it and cannot consider my hair any other way anymore. Thank you for picturing it because as all theses comments show, we are a lot!!! and it is an almost never treated subject in fashion blogs and magazines. As all these women testifying above, i receive daily wonderful compliments about my hair and my courage, and i think it shows a real desire from women and men to see more short hair looks everywhere!! Society is ready for us, let’s shine now!

Just saw an amazingly beautiful boy cut on an Asian woman this weekend. I thought… Wish Sart would catch her since we don’t see it very often and I wanted to study the cut to see why it worked so well.

I have been desperately seeking a shot of a girl you blogged with a very blond short cut and I think her eyebrows where bleached too. May have been over a year and a half ago but I can’t find her and I want to look at her…
Add her to the next “thinking about a boy cut”?

Lovely post, thank you.. Have had my boy cut for a year now..love it though to see some great pictures of beautiful powerful women rocking their boy hair makes me fall in love with it all over again.. Love the first girl rocking her quaff

Ha! my dear.
I’m not thinking anymore. Since one month my hair are totaly short and after 9 years of long hair-style with fringe …forelock like in second world war style… I’ve decided to cut them and I’ve lost all bad memories and all bad ideas with them. right now it’s a fresh new start for me and for my passion
btw love the photos from Poland. fogg during those days was just alike from a fairytail
bises. Gabriela

I’ve had my pixie boy cut for several years now, very blond… I love it. I’ve always loved short hair. I love that I don’t look like a common soccer mom, can dye it any colour, and sleep in twenty minutes more…

Hi, I cut 12 inches off my hair just yesterday after thinking about how neutral I am. For a long time, I was always afraid of standing out and I told myself that no matter what, I would at least try it and if I didnt like it it would grow back. I was told that since I have something of a round face, It would look bad on me and make my face look more round. I am 17, skinny with small features and a low confidence but I look beautiful with my cut and I feel so much more comftorable without all that hair. I want to keep it long forever really. And if guys cant see past my hair, as a person who would like a long meaningful relationship, they arent worth my time. And about feminity, im much more feminine and pretty than I used to be(: my advice is you never know till you try. You might prove the world wrong(:

I’m very grateful for those women who wear LONG HAIR, but for those who must have it short, greased, side-parted or shaved sides and back tell guys don’t even bother trying. In a way, we’re glad for the warning. lol